Woven
by Angel Ren
Summary: (AU) After years of struggling and resisting the festering desire between them, Lotor and Allura have finally embraced their unspoken attraction - and each other. With Zarkon's retirement on the horizon, Arus and the Drule Empire are on the dawn of change. With Admiral Keith at the helm of the Galaxy Alliance, could true peace be possible? (Lotor x Allura)


**Woven**

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

The tension was thick enough that it could be sliced through with any of the heavy cutlery currently decorating the ornate table. Allura fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence in the room. A gentle voice on her right urged her from her thoughts.

"Won't you eat?"

She turned to look at the man near her and couldn't help but smile. He was her foundation. They had weathered trial after trial, endured wars, hardship and miscommunication. After years of dancing around the unspoken heat between them, they had managed to forge through the fear and learned to trust each other.

When she had been younger and more naïve, she wouldn't have been able to imagine a world that he would be so intimately tied to. Now, she couldn't imagine existing without him. She gazed up into his eyes with an open adoration that caused his breath to hitch and a smile to quirk at his lips. Lotor was magnificent.

"I'm afraid I'm not very hungry right now," she admitted, a blush warming her cheeks as he watched her, concerned. She reached over and touched his hand gently. She lowered her voice as he lowered his head to her. "Why does _he_ have to be here?" She whispered to him in irritation.

Lotor glanced up and regarded his father sitting just as tensely on the other side of the table. Zarkon released an exaggerated exhale and rolled his eyes at the couple.

"Because my stupid love-struck son wants to spend some time at home, apparently," he drawled out dryly, causing the Arusian to blush when she realized he had heard her whisper. "Believe me, I don't like it anymore than you."

Allura huffed a little, crossed her arms over her chest and refused to make eye contact with the tyrant that had burned her planet dozens of times.

"You promised you would try," Lotor nudged his wife gently. She ignored him the first time, but as he continued to poke her ribs, she finally broke down and laughed softly.

"I said I would try, and I am. I'm not succeeding, but I am trying," she pointed out, looking back to the younger Drule.

"I'm going to be sick," Zarkon muttered. "Don't worry, I've lost my appetite." Grumbling, the old king rose from the large table and ambled out, leaving a servant to come collect his dishes.

Allura exhaled in relief, tension visibly flooding from her body as he left.

"I'm sorry Lotor, it's hard for me. He killed my father, scorched my planet and enslaved my people. It's difficult to sit across from him and… and eat _brunch_ like nothing happened. Even though both our peoples are prospering right now and Arus is safe… it's hard to forget," she admitted, looking a little ashamed of herself that she couldn't be more open and accommodating.

"I don't really like him either," he conceded quietly. "He threw me into the Pit of Skulls on more than one occasion," he muttered. As his wife giggled, he continued playfully. "To be fair, I _did_ try to assassinate him and steal the throne." She playfully punched his arm.

"Such a loving family," she murmured. He grinned down at her before putting a bite of pancakes in his mouth.

"Will you eat now?" She just shrugged a little. In response, Lotor cut another piece of his breakfast and placed it at her lips. She stared at him in surprise and when Allura refused to open her mouth, he bumped it against her bottom lip. When she still didn't respond, he did it again. And again, and again.

Slowly, Allura started to smile at his tactic to feed her. Before long she laughed and he quickly put the food in her mouth.

"There you are," he murmured as she ate the food. She just shook her head at her scoundrel of a husband before leaning against his shoulder.

"You don't like him. I don't like him. I still don't understand why we need to spend time around him," she complained.

"I could kill him, if you prefer."

"Lotor!" Allura looked at him aghast at his callousness. "He's your father!"

"And? You are far more precious to me than he is. The competition isn't even close," he explained gently. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple and she just shook her head once. "Besides, you look much better naked. If I thought it would please you, I'd bring you his head on a platter," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I think that would terrify me in so many ways," she said dryly, eliciting a deep laugh from her Drule husband.

"I gathered that already."

"Wait you've seen -" Her mind snapped to the quick phrase he had muttered.

"I don't want to talk about it," he cut her off, closing his eyes against the horrifying memory. "It was a traumatic event for both of us." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Don't go beheading anyone on my account, please," she said cautiously. The conversational tone between them was light and playful, but there was an undercurrent of truth. Drules were known to be ruthless and bloody. She was ninety-nine percent sure he was teasing her, but she couldn't rule out completely that he wouldn't act on it if she asked him to.

"As you wish," he bowed his head in reverence to her. "But only if you eat more of your food. You've been so busy with the Galaxy Alliance lately you've missed several meals. You're getting thin," he said, his tone becoming more serious as he worried about his wife.

"Are you commenting on my weight?" Allura quirked an eyebrow at him as she stabbed some potatoes with her fork.

"I am," he said bravely.

Allura blinked. She hadn't anticipated him to just own up to the comment. She instead took another bite of her food.

"Did you really try and assassinate him?" She tossed him a curious glance while she ate. He snorted in response and finished chewing his food before he responded.

"Twice," he answered, smiling to himself as Allura's eyes grew wide.

"What happened?" She stared at him in wonder. They had been married for nearly a year – their anniversary was two weeks away – and their relationship was much older than that and yet she still found herself learning new things about him.

"Keep eating and I'll tell you," he bartered. He was secretly quit livid with the amount of time the Galaxy Alliance had been asking from her, but trying to curtail or control Allura and what she did often ended in an explosive catastrophe for him. She was never one not to help if she could. He had his own suspicion that the Alliance was exploiting that particular quality of hers.

Allura quickly shoved her mouth full of food as she agreed to his terms, eager for a story. He grinned and leaned back in his chair, pausing to take a sip of his drink.

"The first time was stupid," he muttered, briefly recounting the time he tried to sneak up on his father and soundly got his ass handed to him before being thrown in the dungeon. "I really didn't have a plan. The old man was fast," he commented with another sip. "Still is, probably."

"What about the second time?" Allura was watching him with wonder as he glanced down at her. A beat of silence passed between them as he found himself stunned by her features. Every once in a while he had a moment where time seemed to stop and everything felt surreal. He was often wounded by the wonderment that after everything between them, she was at his side. By choice. Not because he threatened to murder her friends, not because she had no alternative to save her planet, and not to save her from Zarkon. She was at his side because there was simply no other place she wished to be more. It was the one single sensation that left the arrogant prince feeling uncomfortably humble.

"Eat," he pointed to her plate, snapping out of the trance she unknowingly wove around him. She looked down and inhaled another bite to oblige him.

"The second time was actually a little more planned out, I had some help from Haggar," he explained. "We stuck him inside a robeast," he paused as Allura nearly spat out her food.

" _Zarkon_ was inside that thing!? It wasn't just a look-alike?"

Lotor laughed darkly, shaking his head once.

"No, he was inside of it. I was furious at him for always being upset with me that Voltron won the battles. So I made _him_ go fight Voltron for once," he paused, grinning a little at the memory. "Probably one of the few times I was rooting for Keith to win, actually."

"I heard my name."

Allura jumped as the witch materialized out of thin air, eyeing the couple. Blue Cat leaped down from the ceiling, landing in the princess's lap. Allura and the cat had initially started off on the wrong foot due to the tension between the feline and her space mice. She realized as long as the two were never in the same room, she had nothing to worry about. As long as her trusted companions stayed on Arus, Blue Cat was always welcome to attention when she visited Doom, and the animal relished it.

"Traitor," the witch mumbled as Allura began to pet the animal, leaving it purring. Her long nails gently massaged behind the feline's ears, much to his satisfaction.

"She has nicer hands than you, can you blame him," Lotor replied offhandedly.

Haggar just shook her head once and sat down at the place Zarkon had recently vacated.

"So what are we plotting? What evil can I cause on your behalf?"

"No evil today, Haggar. Just retelling stories," the prince explained.

"Did he tell you about the first time he saw Arusian rain? He was terrified," she whispered across the table to Allura as Lotor choked on his drink.

"Afraid?" The queen turned to look at her husband in blatant surprise. Haggar cackled before continuing.

"Painfully so. It started to rain unexpectedly, he had no shelter," she said, leaving Allura befuddled at his incessant fear of water.

"To be fair," he explained dangerously, adding in the part the witch gleefully omitted. "Rain on Planet Doom is acidic enough to burn your skin off in just a matter of moments. We are conditioned from a very young age to avoid it at all costs. Very much the same way you would avoid fire."

Allura nodded briefly, thoughtfully.

"So I shouldn't go play in the storm outside while we're here?"

"Gods no, Allura!" The ashen look on Lotor's face made Allura feel a little guilty. She smiled wistfully at him and just touched his cheek affectionately.

"I'm teasing you," she murmured. He sighed in response. He had thought that having Allura would calm him. He had believed that with enough time at her side, it would feel natural.

It did not.

Every moment was still a surprise to him. He felt fear when she even joked about danger. Possessiveness consumed him when another male threatened her. In spite of all the catastrophes he had created, the threats she had found and the injuries she had borne – or perhaps _because_ of it – he worried for her. He worried that in a moment's notice, it could all vanish, and she would be gone. In a very un-Drule-like fashion, he fussed over the little things when no one was looking.

"Anyway," she said, rising to her feet. She began collecting her dishes as an attendant approached her and took care of it. "I know you wanted to spend some time with him. I would like to excuse myself of that, unless there is anything specifically pressing you would like me involved in."

He rose beside her and touched her arm gently, shaking his head once.

"No, that won't be necessary. I won't be gone long. Are you comfortable on your own?" He watched her closely as she nodded. Most of their time was spent on Arus. King Zarkon still reigned over the Drule Empire which limited Lotor's responsibility. An occasional visit to his home world happened often enough that Castle Doom had become a second home for the young queen. "Very well, I'll see you shortly," he said. He hesitated.

"You don't usually want to come with me when I make these trips," he said carefully, watching the clever woman's eyes closely. Something wasn't sitting well with him but he couldn't place it. Allura just smiled in response.

"You've been incredibly patient and supportive with me these last couple months with my work with the Galaxy Alliance. That hasn't gone unappreciated, Lotor." He nodded once, concern marring his face as he turned and left the room.

Allura turned and gave Haggar a gentle smile before taking her own leave. The witch bowed respectfully before her as she did. She watched her leave, amusement flickering through her. Allura had been a source of turbulence among the Drule. They had regarded her only as the fixation of their prince's desire and had taken several months to warm up to her in any capacity.

No one was ever outwardly hostile toward her from fear of death or worse, but she had endured snide comments, insinuations of a subservient status and even outright accusations she had married into the Empire because Lotor had forced her hand. Allura had endured all the accusations and implications with natural, gentle grace. As time wore on, the bond that initially shocked both factions became more obvious. Currently, Haggar couldn't name more than a handful of individuals who didn't adore the queen.

Hailing from Arus and bringing its weather in her wake, she had been a breath of fresh air to the Drule. A living, literal cultural shock in her frank and genuine mannerisms, her kindness had initially been mistaken for a weakness. Nearing the annual mark of her presence among their people – she had earned her place of respect among the warrior race not in spite of her gentle nature, but _because_ of it. Allura existed as both strong and kind – a physical paradox to anyone else.

 _Anomaly,_ the witch thought, bemused. _Then again, Lotor never did prefer the easy route._ She shook her head and took her leave of the room.

* * *

Allura made her way down one of the many winding corridors in the castle. She smiled slightly as she remembered a day she had spent sprinting down this very hallway, her team at her side, desperately trying to make their way out of the capitol of the Empire. Lotor hadn't been far behind her.

Robot guards paused as she passed them in the hallway, bowing respectfully to her as she waved at them. _How quickly things changed,_ she thought. Her pink and white gown dragged behind her as she walked calmly without fear. Her husband was too clever for his own good, but she hadn't expected anything less. He was wildly intelligent and read her like a book. While Allura did want to support him and display her gratitude that he had so patiently endured the last few weeks on her behalf, she did have her own reasons for wanting to visit Castle Doom.

She paused at a doorway, and a quick look over both shoulders confirmed her privacy. A man answered the knock on the door and she smiled pleasantly.

"Your highness," the Drule murmured, surprised.

"I was wondering if you had a moment to see me while I was here," she explained softly. "I'd like a little advice regarding a… sensitive matter. Also, I may have a favor to ask of you… "

"Of course, I don't have a client right now, please come in," he said, gesturing for her to enter the room. She nodded once and walked inside, the door to the physician's office closing behind her.

* * *

Lotor cursed to himself. He had known something was wrong, and damn Allura not to tell him. His heart hammered in his chest. Becoming a husband was a mark of pride among Drule – they were supposed to become even more warlike and protective. Lotor had only felt softer the more he was around her, constantly concerned, consistently wanting to make her smile.

The meeting with his father had gone as planned. He had been working more closely with the tyrant in the past year as the old king was preparing to step down in the near future. It was a quiet topic, most suspected it but nothing official was said. It did, however, require in-person conferences to keep communication confidential in the meantime.

He rounded a corner and his breath caught. She was waiting for him. With hair that rivaled the sun and eyes that stole the sky, his wife waited for him. Allura glanced in his direction and smiled.

"Are you ready for dinner, Lotor?" She hovered near a door to the banquet hall, preferring to enter the rowdy room at his side than alone.

"Are you well?" He came to stand in front of her, his hands touching her shoulders.

"I… I would presume so, should I not be?" She tilted her head to the side, regarding the concern on his face with confusion.

"Reports say you visited with Doctor Jaylis," he said. His eyes narrowed as he watched his wife's face harden. "Do not lie to me," he warned her softly.

"I'm not lying to you," she glared at him for his accusation. "Nothing is wrong. I just needed information."

"About what?' His hold on her shoulders tightened as she wiggled.

"I will tell you, but not yet," she conceded.

"I don't like secrets, Allura."

"And I don't like being bullied," she snapped back, her familiar temper rising. His jaw ticked slightly.

"What would it take to get the information from you?" She exhaled and considered his request. Many of their disagreements centered on stubbornness on both their parts. Lotor had trained himself to be gentler, and Allura had learned that compromise didn't mean forfeiting freedom.

"Let's take a walk? Outside. The stars are out tonight," she commented. The magnetic atmosphere of Planet Doom often generated clouds that obscured the sky. He took her by the arm and led her to the gardens, his heart hammering in his chest.

They wandered for several minutes, Allura attempting small-talk. Lotor's one-word replies indicated he was only interested in one specific topic, and after a few failed attempts, she sighed. Settling down on a bench and looking up at the sky, she gathered her words.

"I needed an opinion from a doctor," she began. Lotor's impatience got the better of him.

"Since when do you see Drule doctors, Allura? You have a physician back on Arus, one of the finest! What-" He froze as she reached up and placed her index finger on his lips. The warm smile on her face calmed his erratic heart slightly.

"I needed his opinion, Lotor, because…" she exhaled and took both his hands in hers. In a single, gentle movement, she placed his palms on her abdomen. "We are now with child."

* * *

 **And with that, Happy Father's Day, everyone! Yes, I've started a new project. As much as I have been enjoying Legacy, I wanted to write about Allura and Lotor having a child together, and well, here we are! Admittedly I have more open projects than I'm entirely comfortable with, and I've been sitting on this idea for a while but I wanted to post the first chapter on Father's Day. Seemed appropriate. As always, I love it when you leave me a note, positive, negative, or even just confused! Helps me do a better job in the future. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
